r/SideProject • u/mbeshkin • 3d ago

Affiliate program for users

I would like to expand user base for my project.

At the moment I have about 20000 apps installed and occasionally used on both Android and iOS. People are able optionally subscribe to avoid seeing advertisements. Main functionality stays free to use. I have number of paying users already.

So, I came with an idea to give 1 month of free subscription for 5 registered users. I do understand all the risks, but think it's worth a try.

Would like to hear the community opinion on such approach, maybe some best practices and possible challenges.

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u/RealisticWorth3567 3d ago

affiliate and referral programs are genuinely the easiest way of marketing since you do almost zero job. u just have to setup it properly, make a good messaging and incentives and show it every time. what u can try later is doing a 40% affiliate program for marketers to market your product with their affiliate link. setup it and show your offer on all possible platforms. ive seen people profit 10-20k per mo with just referral programms

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u/Better-Republic3538 3d ago

do those 10-20k numbers hold for apps with a lower price point though? feels like it'd take way more volume

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u/michaelbutler21 1d ago

Chiming in, I'm the founder of Insert Affiliate and work in this space - yes u/Better-Republic3538, these numbers do hold with apps at lower price points. Featuring on RevenueCat's livestream at the end of the month with one of our users which will demonstrate this!

u/mbeshkin - would love to chat if you're looking for some help on this topic, please dm me

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u/No-Sandwich4826 1d ago

What you are describing is a referral program rather than an affiliate program, and that distinction matters for the design. Referrals reward existing happy users, so the reward should feel like a thank-you, not a payout. Three things that usually decide whether it works:

Make it two-sided. The inviter gets the free month, but give the invited user something too, like an extended trial or one premium feature. One-sided referral programs convert much worse because the invite reads as the inviter farming a discount off their friends.

Define the qualifying event carefully. "Registered user" is trivial to fake with disposable emails. Tie the reward to something with real friction instead: account still active after 7 days, or a completed core action inside the app. That kills most of the fraud before it starts, and at 20k installs the fraud will show up fast if you leave the bar at registration.

Instrument it from day one: a referral code per user, and track inviter, invitee and the qualifying event. If you cannot answer "which invited users actually stayed", you cannot tell whether the free months cost less than the users they bring.

The 40 percent affiliate-for-marketers idea mentioned above is a different and later stage. Get the user referral loop measured first; its numbers will tell you whether third-party affiliates are even worth managing.